Is this normal?

By pbfranck

1 min read

I have metastatic prostate disease. I am awaiting treatment for that due to conflict in my scans. I am awaiting permission for a special scan to determine my treatment for that.

Rapid onset of RA symptoms

About six weeks ago while I was undergoing scans, my hands and feet started feeling stiff and swollen up. Within 10 days, the pain and swelling started affecting my knees and hips. Within another week, my elbows and shoulders. I was diagnosed with RA one week ago.

Treating the stiffness and swelling

I have been taking Advil - it seems to be the only thing that helps the swelling at all. My general practitioner prescribed Celebrex three weeks ago or so. I took it for a week it had no effect. When I saw the rheumatologist, he prescribed sulfasalazine. I’ve been taking that for a week.

Can rheumatoid arthritis come on this suddenly?

Is this normal to have all of my major joints affected so rapidly by rheumatoid arthritis? This morning I could barely stand my knees were so stiff and painful. I could not get a coffee cup out of the cupboard because I could not raise my arm above my chest from the pain in my shoulder and elbow. Is this normal for this disease to affect a person's whole body like this in a period of four weeks?

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Alesandra Bevilacqua Community Admin
Hi <inline-mention user-id="3167486" username="pbfranck"/> ! Thank you for your question here. We cannot give medical advice, so I can't advise on your individual case of RA in particular, but it's entirely possible your RA progressed rapidly. RA varies from person to person as it is a unique disease, so we encourage you to ask your doctor(s) about any concerns or questions around your new diagnosis. Please do keep us posted and update us on your treatment if you'd like - we'll be thinking of you here! Warmly, Alesandra (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
Lynn Marie Witt, MSOT Moderator & Contributor
Hello <inline-mention user-id="3167486" username="pbfranck"/> Welcome again to our RheumatoidArthritis.Net Family. I was so happy you chose to share your story. That is so awesome!!! I have provided a link to my personal RA story. <a href='https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/lifestyle-adjustments' target='_blank'>https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/lifestyle-adjustments/</a> It explains my rapid onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis. My RA onset effected every joint in my body. So to answer your question. Yes it most certainly can have a rapid onset. That being said everyone will have their own unique RA onset story. You are in my thoughts PBfrank. Please continue to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. We also really want to know how you are feeling. Praying for successful treatment for your metastatic prostrate disease. Just Keep Swimming...Lynn Marie, "RheunatoidArthritis.Net Team Member"
Tamara Haag Moderator & Contributor
Hi <inline-mention user-id="3167486" username="pbfranck"/> , Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your question with us. To piggyback on what Alesandra and Lynn Marie shared, while we cannot provide any medical advice, I too had a rapid increase in symptoms. Actually, I first had a long and slow series of RA symptoms that were spaced so far apart and were only impacting one or two joints at a time that they were misdiagnosed for years. But then when RA hit with full force, it was very rapid. I was studying abroad at the time and couldn't understand why within a few weeks my fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles all hurt and were swollen. Another student told me, "Those are all joints, I wonder if it's arthritis." I hadn't even put together that they were indeed all joints, and had no idea at that time that young people could get arthritis. I too found Celebrex to be of no help. With RA, a lot of trial and error is usually involved in finding effective medical treatment. Unfortunately, even though we have the same disease we tend to respond to medications differently. What works great for one person with RA may have little to no effect for another, and vice versa. This is even the case with me and my sister: even though we share the same genes and the same diagnosis, we have responded very differently when we've tried the same medication. The trial and error involved in finding effective medical treatment can be very frustrating, but for some of us we've found treatment that significantly decreases our symptoms. I very much hope that will be the case for you as well. I wish you all the best as you contend with a new diagnosis and having comorbid conditions. Please know that we are here any time you have questions or experiences to share. The months after diagnosis can be a scary time, and we truly understand how tough that can be. so please do reach out any time you feel so inclined. Gentle hugs, Tamara
Richard Faust Community Admin
Hi PBFranck. As others have pointed out, RA symptoms can come on pretty suddenly. I also noticed that you mentioned "metastatic prostate disease." We have a sister-site for prostate cancer at <a href='https://prostatecancer.net/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://prostatecancer.net/</a>. I don't know if your doctor mentioned that metastatic cancer can cause bone pain. This article from the prostate cancer site discusses this in further detail: <a href='https://prostatecancer.net/symptoms/pain/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://prostatecancer.net/symptoms/pain/</a>. It may be useful to approach doctors for both conditions about the potential for the joint pain you are experiencing. Hope you get some answers and relief soon. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)